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Florida DOH: Part of Miami Zika-Free

December 2, 2016 - 6:15pm

A section of Miami where mosquitoes were transmitting the Zika virus has finally been cleared after months of state and federal intervention, Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday.

The Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control have cleared the Little River area of local Zika transmission after nearly four months of spraying and an intense back-and-forth with the federal government.

The area has been Zika-free for 45 days. The area of local transmission covered one square mile.

As of Friday, the only remaining area of active Zika transmission was a 1.5 square mile area in Miami Beach. 

“I am proud to announce that the Little River area has been cleared of any ongoing active transmission of the Zika virus,” Scott said Friday. 

The announcement couldn’t come at a better time -- thousands of visitors are headed to Miami this weekend for Art Basel, a premier show for some of the world’s top art talent. 

Scott warned visitors and residents to not let up on mosquito prevention tactics even if the area had been cleared. 

Rick Scott
Rick Scott

“It is crucial that everyone remains vigilant and continues to do their part to wear bug spray and dump standing water so we can keep these areas clear, especially for pregnant women and their developing babies,” Scott warned. 

Scott said he hoped the DOH would continue to work on clearing the final area of transmission.

The governor also took aim at President Barack Obama’s administration for failing to provide what he says is much-needed funding to eradicate the virus in its final area.

Scott says Florida has requested $25 million for a vaccine to combat the virus. Florida has already set aside $36 million in funds to help prevent and eradicate the virus in South Florida. 

“With news this week that Texas now has a known case of locally transmitted Zika, the federal government needs to make sure we get more funding to respond to Zika,” Scott said.

Scott also requested 10,000 Zika prevention kits as well as a detailed plan on how Florida should work with FEMA.
 
Hundreds of cases of the virus spread throughout the state during the summer, when mosquitoes began transmitting the virus locally. The virus is especially problematic for pregnant women, whose fetuses can suffer from birth defects as a result. 

The virus was also an issue for the Miami-Dade region, which thrives on tourism much like the rest of the state. Hotels, restaurants, and local attractions in the Miami-Dade area were being connected with state departments for Zika prevention and education.

An experimental vaccine for the virus is currently being tested on humans, but the CDC has not hopped onboard with the measure just yet. 

 

Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.

 

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